- ALLERGY, RESPIRATORY
- Overweight Moms More Likely to Have Asthmatic Kids
- Herbal Remedy Could Halt Peanut Allergy
- Climate Change Could Sting Allergy, Asthma Sufferers
- ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
- Ginkgo No Shield Against Alzheimer's
- Bitter Melon Extract May Slow, Stop Breast Cancer
- Relaxation Tapes or Mozart Lower Blood Pressure
- ANIMAL CARE
- 'Comfort Dogs' Come to Emotional Rescue
- Separation Anxiety, Canine-Style
- Rest Easy. When It Comes to Swine Flu, Your Pet Is Safe
- BONES & JOINTS
- Weight Loss Might Not Curb Knee Arthritis
- High Birth Weight Doubles Risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Resistance Training Boosts Mobility in Knee Arthritis Patients
- CANCER
- Scams and Shams That Prey on Cancer Patients
- Healthy Behaviors Slow Functional Decline After Cancer
- Supplements Might Reduce Breast Cancer Risk
- CAREGIVING
- TV Watching Doesn't Fast-Track Baby's Skills
- Birthmark or Blood Vessel Problem?
- Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome as Deadly as Ever
- CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
- Anemia Rates Down for U.S. Women and Children
- Common Antioxidant Might Slow Parkinson's
- Walk 100 Steps a Minute for 'Moderate' Exercise
- COSMETIC
- Mouse Study Finds Molecule That Tells Hair to Grow
- The Acne Drug Accutane More Than Doubles Depression Risk
- Study Evaluates Laser Therapies for Hair Removal
- DENTAL, ORAL
- Scientists Find Gene for Tooth Enamel
- Health Tip: At Risk for Gingivitis
- Toothbrushing May Stave Off Heart Woes
- DIABETES
- Laughter May Lower Heart Attack Risk in Diabetics
- Treatment for Type 2 Diabetes Updated
- Exercise Protects Black Women From Type 2 Diabetes
- DIET, NUTRITION
- Asparagus May Ease Hangover
- Added Sugars in Diet Threaten Heart Health
- Coffee Drinking Lowers Women's Stroke Risk
- DISABILITIES
- Review Finds Marijuana May Help MS Patients
- Could Your Cell Phone Help Shield You From Alzheimer's?
- ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
- Restaurant Sushi May Have More Mercury Than Store-Bought Fare
- Flame-Retardant Chemical Linked to Conception Problems
- Preparing for a Chlorine Gas Disaster
- EYE CARE, VISION
- Glaucoma Associated With Reading Impairments in Elderly
- Impotence Drugs Don't Harm Vision: Study
- When Gauging Age, the Eyes Have It
- FITNESS
- Super Bowl Loss Can 'Kill' Some Fans
- Many Cancer Survivors Don't Adopt Healthy Lifestyle
- Maximize Your Run
- GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS
- Olive Oil May Protect Against Bowel Disease
- Intestinal Bacteria Trigger Immune Response
- Soothing Imagery May Help Rid Some Kids of Stomach Pain
- GENERAL HEALTH
- Asparagus May Ease Hangover
- Less Education May Mean Poorer Health
- Go To Work But Skip The Car
- HEAD & NECK
- Many Children Will Outgrow Headaches
- Zen May Thicken Brain, Thwart Pain
- Ski Helmets Encouraged for All
- HEALTH & TECHNOLOGY
- The Internet Is Becoming One-Stop Shopping for Health Help
- Magnet Therapy May Ease Hard-to-Treat Depression
- E-Mailing Your Way to Healthier Habits
- HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
- Lack of Vitamin D Linked to High Blood Pressure
- Too Much Red Meat May Shorten Life Span
- Years of Heavy Smoking Raises Heart Risks
- INFECTIOUS DISEASE
- Swine Flu Now Reported in All 50 States
- Viral Infection Might Trigger High Blood Pressure
- Surgical Masks Could Prevent Flu, Maybe
- KID'S HEALTH
- Bullying Seems to Affect Kids Years Later
- Don't Leave Your Kids In The Car !
- Treat Kids to a Safe Halloween
- MEN'S HEALTH
- Drinking Green Tea May Slow Prostate Cancer
- Physical Activity May Prolong Survival After Colon Cancer
- Exercise May Prevent Prostate Cancer: Study Shows
- MENTAL HEALTH
- Fear Response May Stem From Protein in Brain
- Love Hormone May Ease Discussion of Painful Topics
- Meaningful Conversations Boost Kids' Language Skills
- PREGNANCY
- Calcium Supplements Cut Blood Lead Levels During Pregnancy
- Pre-Pregnancy Weight Linked to Babies' Heart Problems
- Breast-Feeding May Protect a Woman's Heart
- SENIORS
- Friends, Not Grandkids, Key to Happy Retirement
- Fitness Fades Fast After 45
- Tai Chi May Help Ward Off Knee Pain in Seniors
Placebo Acupuncture Tied to Higher IVF Pregnancies
By eHolistic.com Published: 11/13/2008
THURSDAY, Nov. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Compared to real acupuncture, placebo acupuncture was associated with significantly higher overall pregnancy rates among women undergoing in-vitro fertilization (IVF), says a University of Hong Kong study.
In real acupuncture, fine needles are inserted into particular points on the body. In placebo acupuncture, blunt needles that look identical to real acupuncture needles retract into the handle of the needle when pressed on the skin, but still give the sensation and appearance of entering the skin.
The researchers gave real or placebo acupuncture to 370 women on the day of embryo transfer and found that 55.1 percent of those who received placebo acupuncture became pregnant, compared to 43.8 percent of those who received real acupuncture. The findings were published in the Nov. 13 issue of Human Reproduction.
"We found a significantly higher overall pregnancy rate following placebo acupuncture when compared with that of real acupuncture," study author Dr. Ernest Hung Yu Ng, an associate professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology, said in a European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology news release. "In addition, there was a trend towards higher rates of clinical pregnancy, ongoing pregnancy, live birth and embryo implantation in the placebo acupuncture group, although the differences did not reach statistical significance."
The results suggest that placebo acupuncture may not act as an inert control for real acupuncture and may be having a real effect. That theory is supported by the fact that the researchers noted significant changes in measurements for uterus receptivity and patient stress levels after the women received both the real and placebo acupuncture.
There are two possible explanations for the study results.
"Placebo acupuncture is similar to acupressure and therefore is good enough to improve the pregnancy rate," said Ng, who added it's also possible that real acupuncture may, in some way, reduce the pregnancy rate.
"So far, there is no evidence that real acupuncture would adversely affect IVF outcomes because, in a previous meta-analysis of several acupuncture studies, the pregnancy rate was higher in the acupuncture group than in the control group. However, we cannot draw a firm conclusion about this from our current study, as we did not compare the two groups with a third control group of patients who received neither form of acupuncture. Further studies should be conducted to compare placebo or noninvasive acupuncture and controls without acupuncture," Ng said.
More information
The U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine has more about acupuncture.
-- Robert Preidt
SOURCE: European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology, news release, Nov. 12, 2008
Last Updated: Nov. 13, 2008
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